Air conditioning unit and apparatus for shipping



Dec. 8, 1953 I B. W. JEWELL AIR CONDITIONING UNIT AND APPARATUS FORSHIPPING Filed Aug. 1, 1952 23 legi INVENTOR.

BERNARD W. JEWELL BY ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 8, 1953 AIR CONDITIONINGUNIT AND APPARATUS FOR SHIPPING Bernard W. Jewell, Wichita, Kans.,assignor to The O. A. Sutton Corporation, Inc., Wichita, Kans., acorporation of Kansas Application August 1, 1952, Serial No. 302,265

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) My present invention relates to means forrestraining a heavy portion of a heavy appliance during shipmentthereof, the invention being of particular utility in the shipment ofwindow ledge air conditioning units. In appliances of this characterthere may be a heavy, motorized unit, such as the hermetically sealedmotor-compressor unit commonly found in window ledge air conditioningunits. The motor-compressor unit must be resiliently supported andotherwise isolated from the body of the appliance so as to eliminate orminimize the transmission of noises and vibrations therefrom to thecasing of the unit when the appliance is in operation. On the otherhand, the motorized portion of such an appliance must be firmly held inposition during shipment of the unit or severe damage and possibledestruction of the unit will result. Heretofore it has been the practiceto provide special holding means, such as clamps, shipping bolts andother threaded fastening members, firmly to unite the motorized portionto the body of the unit during shipment. Such means are usuallydifficult of access and usually require the installer to remove accessplates or a portion of the casing of the unit in order to remove orloosen the shipping hold-' down means. A primary object of the presentinvention is to eliminate such expensive, and difficult to operate,temporary holding means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shippingpallet for an air conditioning unit or equivalent appliance, whichpallet is firmly attached to a portion of the unit during shipment, theunit and the pallet being cooperatively related to provide means forrestraining the motorized portion of the unit, such as the hermeticallysealed compressor thereof, against movement during shipment, and theunit being so arranged that it is ready for immediate operation when theshipping pallet is separated'therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the ultimate costof appliances of the character described by providing means for safetransit of the unit, and which means is of economical construction.

The objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readilyunderstood from inspection of the accompanying drawings taken inconnection with the following specification, and wherein the presentinvention isillustrated in the combination of an air conditioning unitand its shipping container.

In the drawings,

.Fig. 1 is a partially schematic representation of an air conditioningunit, having the present in- 4 Z vention associated therewith andillustrated in complete detail;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the floorof the unit illustrated in Fig. 1 and associated portions of a shippingpallet constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along line3-3 of Fig; 2.

An appliance comprising a window ledge-air conditioning unit isillustrated in Fig. 1, the appliance comprising a housing l0 including'abottom wall I l. The housing is subdivided by a vertical partition l2into a condenser compartment I3 and an evaporator compartment I4. Ahermetically sealed motor-compressor unit [5 is mounted in thecondensing compartment, the

unit l5 being connected in refrigerant flow relationship with acondenser I6 closing one end of the condenser compartment and anevaporator I1 mounted in the evaporator compartment; The evaporatorcompartment is divided by a horizontal partition I8 on which is mountedblower means H! for withdrawing air from the room to be cooled through aroom air inlet opening 20 and forcing the same through the evaporator I1and into the room through the room air outlet opening 2|. A condenserblower 22 is mounted in the condenser compartment and driven by a motor23, there beingappropriate shroud means (not shown) whereby airmay becaused to enter a' portion of the condenser from the outside space, flowin cooling relationship to the motor-compressor unit I 5, and be ejectedback into the outside space through another portion of' the condenserl6. Refrigerant compressed by the motorcompressor unit is forced througha discharge tube 24 into the condenser l6 where it is cooled andliquified. The hot liquid refrigerant travels through a liquid line 25,an expanding member such as expansion valve 26 and supply tube 21 to theevaporator il in which it expands to cool the,

air being forced therethrough by the blower l9. The expanded refrigerantreturns to the motorcompressor unit I5 through suction tube 28. Thedischarge line 24 and suction tube 28 are provided with vibrationdampening means such as the large loops illustrated, whereby themotorcompressor unit I5 may vibrate to a large extent withouttransmitting such vibrations to the easing or other parts of theappliance. Moisture which is condensed from the air to be coolediscollected in a condensate pan 29 beneath the" evaporator I1 and istransmitted by gravity through a run-off tube 30 to a pan 3! in whiching arms which are weldedto arid'proje'ctb 3 wardly from the bottom ofthe motorized'u'n t.

Each of the arms 35 is provided with a central. opening 36 at its outerend inwhich is positioned;-

a rubber grommet 31 having a large flange .atits 4 speot to theresilient feet and associated mem-- bers that the weight of the unit islifted from the springs and the flange of the gasket 31 is compressedbetween the arm 35 and the washer 38 when the bolts 58 are drawn tight.The mator-compressor unit is thereby held in firm association withthe-shipping pallet and damage of the fame s, thus, prevented duringshipment. When the unit is to be installed the shipping bolts 5% areremoved, whereupon the weight of the motpr coi r rpres sor ui ri i I5 istransmitted to the s c 45 and the appliance is immediately in conditionfor operating. It is to be noted that no special toolsor. holdingfixtures are required.

upper end. A fiber washer 3,8 rests upon the, clarhps'or'eduivalentmeans are eliminated grommet 3'! and engages the head 39 of "a; b'dltlfi extending through the grommet 31 into; adiust: able engagement withan internally threaded f ni ple--51; welded into. c nt a en n 5?. a.raised- Boss 43- dn 'th'e wan 1': of are app ianc A fib r-wasl arii urou ds the ma le. 4 5 scppqrtsitn 'wer encore resilientcoil fs' .5 the.r d'o ich enga s a ber ashe Aeolian, as. st tri owerisurracejorithe};in;

ab} tii escri gsus so that the 'vibr tioiiitheieof' 'so'r'ne, hat.limited. All'metal partsof the" a'i e 'insiilated'froni 'achfothe'r ibyb memb r ol he f te li f nd' tfan, "dnrare'rriinimizeiif Duringshipmentthefunit is. mounted upon a pallet. p ferably. formed of,boardsl'includingi lbjwj ii bwrd "5. "fi f l fm lta boads 5,1,, 52, 53.,5 a d 5,5,. ygplcrauty eprovided.'iritheWall eiii it thewall. I ljinsurjroundin'g p s W'TheJ pemgfiaam vii irmp ne duri a mnmen as nns;

tr cl in detail'fin'm'y copendinglapa carton" being indicated in skeIe vtlin atQSQZ 'f'he carton protects the. 8X-

)froiii the pallet. and. the, p ng. mcvefi h n the p an is i d nc thmyventionl p ovide an opening alignment, with, the bottom of the motor-coab configuration and of considerable. extent wherebya'large blocli'fil.of wood oifequivalerit ef'mirii jt aiiqs; 'snchgasi beams. 5 enti'withthe holding nuts en ag me aw h,the outer, surface of the ottoml sfi rmmerb awed-1,,

e j appliance during shipment, but it q 'throughjthe' n n inxcntrarrelajr; i i o.i h min nip s. 4.1 a d in 1 e ti l.

junitj It. The opening :60. is. of any snag I Easeiofiinstallation isthus assured, and service complaint-s heretofore occasioned by theinstallation x nechani j fiorgetting to remove holding Ramse i a be j ll nl e eea or sea 2.

pp g e i hem "el min in ne if nt amar a r t 12% 0 ir ci e he air thiiQlfi k the, machinery compartment. 'Ihea irwhichen;

te st e inching .9.5 ters a e a w i y itw llt embed ment, oi. the prsent invention, it sho d ewoiit l' he. sh f h mb e cmnr ss e nit. An a s91, t res. m be e eete i f eater es: he imi is p tovisii a w dl 920:

I Mil e. an Q res rubber suiiqcndiaa 1. st r i Bit f n swe t pr mixioeeea emsmwithrd se e ip the atten; Qi-t e m9tQr-sQmere$9r-.ua twbe al, e tle rqn e-bh n i gfifiz -v es llustr t are de cr bed; are ter s:

he. apparent qthq ki l d m n at itt emene imi s me i aiiQ inaranea e a.11 claim. m nr r ii'9na ...9 .5 t e i s some wii ni e me pir t. damseft e ppen ed t be qs aruiefpa11egthati ts, a may efp. sedthroughholes',

material. may jprojject'. therethrough intov engag ith the bottom of themotorcoinpresso r aa inaw i le mt.

n. cqmbiaetio fer ship nen m s er a eay yappliance inc udin are ilien ymeta-tea.-

i9 q i edm il a iqie zr ianc .cpmnr sinaa pis ,9 W l hayinaan openin herin Se anin a un t; to, ai we l- 11 4 ike a, 12 1: mmi- 1 Sil cat enii ameans. n? ur ounds. ing relatio tc s erins, lim 1- I. bov s i bo -mmwallowin -we e 5.dec anl ra ityc hreaded: mem rs eii e c i e;

om-Iofsai iI ncir e -iui n ir slu threaded: me b rs; We o d:- a dq ne1t.-..a11d sai bet Walker. eseai e n-easement. durin durm ope tron, of a1Well, malit f threaded:-men1bers ,at,

tac lied, sa d. -butt block pr jecting through said-:- opening into qg px he ottom, or, said ..motorized E:

m ta

o n d. es entl s n:-

said .gttcmwa nt rlaced to said,- ,p 11a; a om risinaa.

' qua i ai p n iintq ni yf ii ii apine:bc s. ene eina-sai We l;i iyliabdelatiomto said opening; a pallet cOmnlfismgra suppqxt h i l zia-Yoihreadedshipping b'oltsl.

engaging said threaded members to hold said pallet and said bottom wallin face-to-face engagement during shipping, said block being of suchheight with respect to said movement limiting means thattightening ofsaid shipping bolts firmly to engage said bottom wall with said palletcauses said block to separate said motorized unit from said wall to theextent permitted by said limiting means.

3. The combination during shipment of an air conditioning appliancecomprising a motor-compressor unit, a plurality of supporting arms fixedto said unit and projecting laterally therefrom, said appliance having abottom wall, a plurality of coil springs, each interposed between one ofsaid arms and said bottom wall resiliently to support saidmotor-compressor unit during operation thereof, a plurality of limitingmembers each associated with one of said arms for limiting separation ofsaid motor-compressor unit in a vertical direction with respect to saidbottom wall, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough beneathsaid motor-compressor unit, and a plurality of shipping nut membersfixed to said bottom wall; with a shipping pallet, said pallet includinga block projecting therefrom in such location as to be projectablethrough said opening into engagement With the bottom of saidmotor-compressor unit and of such height as to ;mitted by said limitingmembers, and a plurality of bolts engaging said shipping nut members andfastening said bottom wall in face-to-face engagement with said palletduring shipment.

4. An air conditioning appliance comprising a cabinet including a bottomwall, a compressorcondenser-evaporat-or refrigerating system in saidappliance and including a compressing unit, means resiliently supportingsaid compressing unit during operation thereof, said bottom wall havinga large opening therein beneath said compressing unit for reception of aprojecting portion of a pallet as an aid to shipment of said appliance,and a continuous rim of sponge rubber surrounding said opening andprojecting upwardly therefrom into proximity with the bottom of saidcompressin unit.

BERNARD W. JEWELL.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,947,850 Heitman et a1. Feb. 20, 1934 1,987,708 Replogle Jan.15, 1935 2,366,284 Nofzinger Jan. 2, 1945 2,392,727 Dailey Jan. 8, 19462,495,002 Hart Jan. 17, 1950

